Facebook users care more about ‘looking good than intelligent’

Most Britons using social networks like Facebook prize good looks over intelligence, a new survey has revealed.

Looking good on Facebook is a priority for Brits (Picture: EPA)

Some 56 per cent of Brits surveyed admitted that looking as good as possible on their profile pages is their main priority.This is contrast to elsewhere in the rest of Europe and the Middle East, where social media users are far more concerned about appearing intelligent when posting online.

Sitting pretty: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (Picture: AP)

The social media habits research was compiled by Intel and showed that more than half of Brits surveyed prefer the ‘ultra’ version of themselves they have created on their social profiles.Men were shown to craft their online personalities around intelligence and courageous behaviour, while women were more likely to hand-pick flattering photographs to fill their page.

The most common reason given for people indulging in these ‘social lies’ was to find love or friendship.

But while social media users may be covering up insecurities and trying to impress others, the study showed that 48 per cent believe that posts that are ‘just too good to be true’, generally are.

Some 91 per cent of people agreed that there are some topics better not discussed on social websites, with 70 per cent admitting to feeling uncomfortable when friends ‘over-share’.

Genevieve Bell, director of interaction and experience research for Intel, commented: ‘New technologies tend to magnify the contradictions in our behaviour.

‘We want both to create a good impression with our peers and also complain about over-sharing. It takes time to find a balance.’